Projects

A concrete pour for the record books

Graniterock's Concrete Team poured more than 8,000 yards of concretein a five-day span that required the use of every mixer truck in the Company, making the pour one of the largest in Graniterock history.

Graniterock People involved in the project say it was an incredible One Company effort. A tremendous volume of concrete - 3,231 yards in less than eight hours - was poured on Saturday, August 9, 2014, which required People from multiple Graniterock branches pulling together to deliver for our customer.

The massive pour was part of the Bay Tunnel project, which is a significant undertaking by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to replace two aging water pipes 11 stories beneath the Bay with a single pipeline. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission delivers water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park to 2.5 million people throughout the Bay Area. Many portions of the Hetch Hetchy system are aging and in need of improvements.

The tunnel through which the pipes run stretches five miles across San Francisco Bay. The single pipeline, about 125 feet underground, emerges in Menlo Park on the west and Newark on the east. The new tunnel passes through environmentally sensitive marshlands and mudflats, with a vertical shaft at each end of the tunnel.

To supply this project, Graniterock used a 75 percent fly ash mix, which makes it a "green" mix due to the amount of cement replacement. This supplementary replacement material was used to combat the heat of hydration in such a large pour.

Graniterock's concrete was used to fill in a hole around the water pipes at both vertical end shafts.

The pour was successful due to the role of several key People.

Denny Mahler and Joe Antonetti facilitated the unloading of Graniterock's bulk cement trucks at the concrete plants in Redwood City and San Jose.

Arthur Woolpert helped get mixer trucks out of the dry plant in Redwood City.

Roger Swenson and David Fontes worked on site with our drivers to ensure there was one mixer at the four pumps at all times.

Elden Davis and Chuck McEwen of the Construction Division supported the pour with multiple mechanics at each site. They also provided light towers for greater visibility and heightened safety awareness when the pour began at 2 a.m.

David Trotter supported the San Jose concrete plant.

Don Birt, Robert Maltoni and Jennie Stewart dispatched all 359 loads that were shipped on Aug. 9, 2014.

Jim Holmquist, John Seith, Zack Booth and Mike McGrath were at the concrete plants and jobsite for additional support.

Erik Yslas and Katha Redmon provided the original mix designs and quality control throughout the pour.

Mixer truck drivers did a safe and efficient job of delivering the 359 loads of concrete.